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'Angry Birds Champions' lets players fling pheasants for real money
Angry Birds Champions is now available on iOS devices and through the developer's website, allowing players to fling their feathered friends against precarious piles of pigs in a bid to win real money for the first time. The game is accessible through the WorldWinner iOS app or on WorldWinner.com, joining the studio's other real-money tournament games like Wheel of Fortune, Solitaire, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit. "It's really the original Angry Birds physics game -- and obviously Rovio's done a number of different derivatives using the iconography -- but this is the core physics game of shooting birds and killing pigs," WorldWinner boss Jeremy Shea told Engadget.
'Silent Streets' sequel beefs up the AR sleuthing on iOS
Silent Streets was an odd mix of walking simulator and AR-based Victorian detective story, but clearly the mix of genres was a hit. Funbakers, the studio behind the game, has already cooked up a sequel, Silent Streets: The Mocking Bird, that'll see players return to the murky world of Snowport. There, they'll be tasked with solving a series of grisly murders in, and around, the world of backroom boxing.
'Florence' turns falling in love into a video game
Video games are good at war. For decades, games have covered the breadth, horror and honor of battle in every conceivable arena, from ancient history to futuristic space stations, from the hills of Mordor to the beaches of Normandy. Games have a long history of transforming firefights into sporting events, pitting players against one another with a wide array of weapons at their disposal. It makes sense, given where the industry started. "When our technology was really primitive, the easiest things to create were simulations of sports and of physical things and battles and sort of black-and-white conditions," Ken Wong, the creator of Monument Valley, says. "Since then we've developed so much technology and discussion, and we're able to create stories and characters with a lot of subtleties, but it feels like gaming as an industry is still hanging onto that past as sort of the true form of gaming."
'Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition' launches February 9th
It looks like Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, the mobile version of the console and PC game, is just around the corner. According to an App Store listing, it will hit iOS on February 9th for players who have an iPhone 6s or later, late model iPad or iPad Pro. The game also appeared on Google Play back in August last year, and while the release date isn't mentioned there, you can pre-register to find out when it arrives.
The best mobile games
Mobile gaming has come a long way. Over the past few years we've gone from simple distractions like Snake, Words With Friends and Doodle Jump to full-on narrative experiences crafted specifically for Android and iOS devices. What's more, at least a few traditional console game developers have shifted entirely to mobile at this point, and, in a bit of a reversal, they've ported their games to consoles. By 2012, game-design toolsets like Unity and Unreal made a charming indie designed for mobile devices indistinguishable from one you'd play on a PlayStation or Xbox. As such, for the purposes of this list, we're focusing on games that have been released within the past five years.
'Rainbrow' is an iPhone X game you play with your eyebrows
If you were eagerly awaiting the day you'd get to control a smartphone game with your eyebrows, the time is now. At least, if you own Apple's thousand-dollar iPhone X. "Rainbrow" (see what they did there) is the brainchild of Washington University computer science grad Nathan Gitter. The game harnesses the flagship's TrueDepth camera and ARKit augmented reality platform to deliver a headache-inducing arcade trip. Think Frogger, but instead of a frog dodging freeway traffic, you control a smiley across what looks like a Pride flag, dodging other emoji in order to amass points.
'Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty' debuts on smartphones
If you're looking for a premium mobile game without in-app purchases, there's good news: Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty has arrived on iOS, Android and NVIDIA Shield. The 2014 console game, based on Lorne Lanning's Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee has been re-purposed for mobile with new controls for a small touchscreen, letting you swipe on the side of the screen to perform actions like "use," and "sneak." It also has full external controller support, and you can resize or move buttons. And did I mention there's no in-app purchases?
'Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp' adds gardening to its list of chores
Collect fruit, trade it with villagers, build furniture, rinse, repeat. That's been the experience with Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp thus far, and if it's getting tedious, know that there's an update coming soon that'll add some variety to the mix. Next month, you'll be able to start crafting clothes like shirts, pants and shoes. Players will also gain access to a garden. As you might expect, the garden is where you can plant flowers, and you can even water friends' flower beds for them.
Tamagotchi is heading to your smartphone in 2018
Tamagotchi is celebrating its 20th birthday this year with the release of a special anniversary edition, which was good enough to land on our holiday gift guide. But, the festivities don't end there, as the virtual pet is (at long last) making the leap to smartphones in 2018. My Tamagotchi Forever for iOS and Android gives the pixellated blob with a face a much-needed makeover. The game is set in colorful "Tamatown," home to other cutesy inhabitants that you can make friends with -- much like Nintendo's latest mobile offering, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
'Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp' comes to your phone November 22
Soon, Aussies won't be the only ones building summer camps in Nintendo's latest mobile game. The gaming giant announced that Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will arrive on iOS and Android devices worldwide on November 22nd. The title marks Nintendo's third foray into smartphone gaming, following Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes.
Of course there's retro-inspired 'Stranger Things' mobile game
Netflix has flirted with simple games starring its most popular original series, but its latest stab at interactive promo goes a little deeper. The streaming juggernaut tapped developer BonusXP to make a full-on mobile game for Stranger Things. And as you might expect, it's is about as retro as possible, aping classics of yore like River City Ransom and the NES' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for inspiration. All that to say, it's a bit more complicated than Netflix Infinite Runner from January. You can do sweet jumps on your bicycle as one of the kids and explore the Upside Down as Hawkins police chief Jim Hopper, for example.
The latest ‘Super Mario Run’ update is available for download
The update to Super Mario Run has arrived. We heard about the new features planned for the game last week, a main one being the introduction of Remix 10 -- super quick courses that include Bonus Games and one Super Bonus Game that can get you some new buildings for Kingdom Builder mode. Super Mario Run will also now include Daisy as a playable character who has the ability to jump while she's already in midair.
Niantic's next AR game after ‘Pokémon Go’ may use audio cues
Niantic is keen to prove that it's no one-trick pony. The company that brought augmented reality mobile gaming to the masses with Pokémon Go is dropping some interesting tidbits about its followup. The title will integrate audio prompts into its AR gameplay experience, the company's CTO Phil Keslin told TechCrunch. Instead of asking people to hold their phone up while interacting with the game, Keslin says the developer is seeking a more natural alternative. And, it seems audio cues could be the key to the Pokémon Go successor.
Kevin Hart made a family-friendly mobile game
Kevin Hart cultivates a brand of relentless positivity. The comedian and actor makes motivational Snapchats from the gym at 5:30AM, trumpets his Laugh Out Loud streaming network as a place for upcoming, multicultural performers and repeats the mantra "live, love, laugh" without any irony. Like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, he's created a tirelessly optimistic public image that cuts across race, class and mediums, and it's taken Hart straight to the Forbes list of highest paid comedians.
Nope, 'Alto's Odyssey' isn't coming out this summer
It's going to be a bit before we can play Alto's Odyssey. The followup to the ridiculously relaxing snowboarding game Alto's Adventure won't be out any time soon, developer Built By Snowman writes. "The endless desert still awaits and it's even vaster and more mysterious than we envisioned when we first conceptualized a new adventure for Alto and his friends," a blog post reads.
Fighting classic 'Tekken' debuts on mobile
Fighting game Tekken is coming to your smartphone screens, joining the likes of Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, South Park and some Sega Genesis titles in the ring. Maker Bandai Namco announced the Tekken Mobile game is open for pre-registration today via its newly launched website, and iOS users in Canada can already try out a preview.
Walking ‘Silent Streets’ makes for a sinister but short adventure
My friends, who knew of my uncharacteristic love for Pokémon Go, suggested that I try Silent Streets. It's a brand-new mobile game that combines the same mechanics of augmented reality and walking that I enjoy so much. There's no magical critter-catching going in Silent Streets. It's a Victorian gothic detective story that sees you roaming your local area to solve a murder -- one that had me walking around trying to find "The Boy With the Flower Skin."
Tencent tackles mobile game addiction with time limits for kids
In the face of public pressure, Chinese internet giant Tencent is limiting play time for younger users of its hit mobile game Honor of Kings (dubbed Strike of Kings in the west). Starting Tuesday, anyone under 12 will be restricted to one hour of play per day, and those between 12 to 18 will be allowed two hours game time.
The next 'Dots' game is completely different, except for the dots
Dots, the studio behind a beautifully-designed series of mobile games (including Two Dots and last year's Dots & Co), just announced its next game: Wilds. As the title suggests, this game will be a departure from what the studio has produced thus far: It's the first game that doesn't have the word "dots" in its title. And the announcement game via an odd, enigmatic video that shows a lone figure in the middle of a dark forest, dancing among trees and glowing orbs. Those orbs surely resemble the dots that you must connect in the studio's other puzzle games, but there's no other hint as to what players can expect when Wilds arrives.
Next 'Layton' game is coming to Android and iOS before 3DS
Last we knew, the new Professor Layton game's differences from prior releases were relegated to its protagonist and the absence of its original puzzle designer. Now word is out that Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire's Conspiracy will arrive on Android and iOS this July 20th, ahead of its stateside debut on Nintendo's 3DS handheld. According to publisher/developer Level 5 (spotted by Kotaku), the only way to play on 3DS at launch will be with an imported version and a Japanese console. Domestically, a localized version will release at some point after the mobile versions.
